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Monday, May 26, 2014

Spotlight on: Millet

Good morning and happy Memorial Day! I hope you are having a fun and relaxing long weekend.

I wanted to take a minute to talk about one of my very favorite grains: millet!

You may be familiar with millet as a birdseed ingredient, but it is a tasty, nutritious whole grain for humans, too! It is fast and easy to prepare and full of important nutrients like B vitamins, iron, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus and manganese + protein and fiber. Millet is also naturally gluten-free, so it is a great option for those who are sensitive.

I always keep a canister of millet on hand to use as an alternative to brown rice, quinoa, or freekeh. It has a mild nutty flavor and works well in just about any dish that you would use rice in. You can find it in the bulk bin section of most health food stores, and it is super cheap!

To make rice-style millet, you will need 1 cup of millet plus 2 cups water or broth (use about 2.5 cups if you want a creamier texture).

First, place a saucepan on the stove and turn the heat up to medium. Add the millet into the pot dry, and allow it to toast for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly. This step really brings out the nutty flavor of the millet and will keep it from turning into a big pot of mush.

Once the millet is fragrant and a touch brown, add in your liquid and turn up the heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all of the liquid is absorbed.

Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to sit, covered, for a few more minutes. Then, fluff and serve.

You can add in a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of butter/coconut oil/olive oil while the millet is cooking to give it a little extra flavor. I also sometimes stir in a tablespoon of nutritional yeast to make it "cheesy".

Here is some "cheesy" millet with fresh dill from the other night served alongside roasted tofu and sauteed kale.

I almost always make millet this way and use it as a rice substitute, but I've read that you can even include raw millet in baked goods or granola to add crunch. Alternatively, if you use 3 cups of water instead of 2 and stir the millet as it simmers, it can be made into a breakfast porridge. What a versatile little grain!

Here's a great article that goes into more detail on the history of millet and the different ways it can be used.

I'm off to enjoy the rest of what has already been a great weekend. See you soon!